This Insanely Affordable Canadian Music Festival Returns to Quebec City in July

By Rachael Roth

The 11-day festival, Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ), returns for the 51st time to the historically and architecturally rich city, breathing in new life to Quebec’s old-world charm this summer. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the city is an idyllic location for one of North America’s longest-running festivals, which has hosted unquantifiable amounts of musical talent over the years, including everyone from Sheryl Crow and Selena Gomez to KISS and The Rolling Stones.

Overview of Québec, Credit: André Olivier Lyra

The lineup for this year’s event runs the genre gamut: expect everything from Afrobeat (Femi Kuti) to all qualifiers of punk (klezmer punks Bella’s Bartok, seminal pop punk band Sum 41) to jazz and classical, to beloved indie acts (Car Seat Headrest, Kurt Vile), to chart-toppers (Camila Cabello, Lil Yachty). It all leads up to the big-name headliners: Lorde, The Weeknd, and so many more.

Plains of Abraham Bell Stage, Credit: Renaud Philippe

With free daily performances, shows in intimate after-hours venues, and on the Bell Stage (the largest outdoor venue in all of Canada), the week-and-a-half-long event sees festival-goers turning out in droves to fill the city center, with optimal food choices on every corner. Don’t worry about long lines either: a mobile structure called Stéréo FEQ will have surprise guest DJs to entertain you while you wait on busier nights. If you need a break, there will be plenty of space to relax at the Cœur du FEQ during musical cocktail hours. Hear emerging artists performing on the FIBE stage while you mingle, enjoy fresh cocktails, and choose tasty snacks from the four on-site food trucks.

There will be plenty of unique and free family-friendly experiences, too, including a Slime Factory (kids can take their creations home), Bubble Bikes, magic shows, obstacle courses, dance workshops, and performances by hip-hop dance troupes. Interactive sculptures like a giant colorful cube will provide festivalgoers with the optimal selfie opportunity.